Review: Debenhams Valentines Flowers.

24 Red Roses: Debenhams £42.99*

We're now in February which means that Valentine's Day is fast approaching and we're seeing love hearts and roses in every shop window. I am a single lady this year but at least the lovely people over at Debenhams spared me a thought and had this beautiful bouquet and a box of chocolates delivered to my door. Made up of twenty four classic red roses and a few sprigs of cinerea eucalyptus to add the finishing touch, this is a bouquet for those of you who like to stick to Valentine's traditions. 

My bouquet arrived two days after the order was made by Royal Mail, but Debenhams have the option for your flowers to be delivered by courier if you want your bouquet to be guaranteed on Valentine's Day. I must admit, the bouquet that was delivered to me looked far from the impressive-looking arrangements pictured on the website and there were a few browning petals here and there, but I can't deny that it is a pretty bouquet non-the-less. Debenhams claim that their flowers will stay fresh for 7 days, and I am pleased to say that mine are still standing strong in their vase on my desk after a week. 

There is a huge range of stunning flowers to choose from on the Debenhams Flowers website including bouquets of twelve red roses and also a single red rose in a cute little bud vase if you want to keep things simple. Or, for those of you who may not be in to roses, there are plenty of beautiful options for you, too. You also have the option of adding a box of chocolates, a teddy bear or a bottle of wine to your order if you really want to impress your loved one.

Debenhams have also been kind enough to provide me with a discount code for 15% off any bouquet from the Valentine's Flowers range, so if you are planning on treating somebody special to some flowers this year, make sure to enter the code VDBLOG at the checkout (expires midnight, February 12, 2014).

Are you going to surprise somebody with a bouquet this Valentine's Day? Or are you hinting for them instead? ;)

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. My opinions are still 100% honest and my own.

Wishlist: Winter to Spring with George @ ASDA.

[Image Source]

Now that we're well in to the New Year, it's nearly time to start saying goodbye to velvet dresses, fur collars and tartan trousers (booo! :( ) for another six months or so. However, with the abysmal weather that we are experiencing here in the UK, I think we have a month or two left to take advantage of long sleeves and layers whilst adding a pop of colour to welcome the Spring and Summer trends. George at ASDA has got our back for this transitional phase, so I thought I would compile a little wishlist of my favourite pieces from their New In section!

1. Graduate Fashion Week Geo Knit Midi Dress £18.00

I am in love with some of the pieces from the Graduate Fashion Week collection at George, this looks like something that would be around the £40-£50 mark in Topshop or River Island! Instead, at a bargain price of £18.00 this bright orange number is sure to get you spotted!

2. G21 Skater Dress and Necklace Set £18.00

Whatever the season, you can't go wrong with a simple skater dress, and I love the pop of colour that this coral necklace adds! I believe they also have this in pink with a black necklace!

3. G21 T-Shirt Dress £16.00

For a quirky mix of smart and casual, this t-shirt-slash-pinafore dress has got your back. I can definitely see it looking amazing paired with some conservative pointy heels for a day in the office or played down with some heeled ankle boots for lunch with friends.

4. Faux Fur Collar Coat £30.00

With the freezing cold mornings and downpours of rain that we have been having, I don't think it's anywhere near time to put away our coats and jackets just yet. I love this navy number from George with its single buckle fastening and faux fur collar, and I think it's A-line cut would look super flattering on most!

5. G21 Lips Print Longline Shirt £14.00

We're in February and Valentine's Day is coming up, so I thought this rather loud lips print was necessary. I love long line and boyfriend-style shirts and have been seeing a lot of them on the high street recently- I think I know what a large portion of my wardrobe is going to consist of this year!

What is your favourite piece from my wish list?

Are you starting to switch up your wardrobe?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: Sponsored post.

My Most Used iPad Apps.

iPad Mini Wi-Fi 16GB- White: Argos £269.00

When Apple first released the iPad, I was skeptical about the practicality of the device and fell in to the "I'd rather have a laptop" category. However their growing popularity left me intrigued and after a fair amount of commuter envy from people using their tablets on train journeys and people telling me it was one of the best investments they had made, I decided it was time to see what the fuss was about.

Well it's safe to say I am well and truly a convert to the dark side. My skepticism about the practicality of an onscreen keyboard has been over-ruled by the fact that I use my iPad for things that do not require a lot of typing, and is far outweighed by how lightweight and portable the device is. That said, I wouldn't give up my laptop in favour of an iPad, but it is definitely a good companion.

My new iPad is the White 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Mini from Argos. Whilst it's WiFi-only compatibility comes with the con that it cannot always be used on the move, the 7.9 inch screen is the perfect size for curling up on the sofa every evening and catching up on my YouTube subscriptions. Of course the beauty of the iPad is being able to choose from over 275,000 apps to tailor your tablet exactly to your own uses, and even though I haven't had my iPad long enough to really experiment with different apps thought I would put together this post to share the ones I use the most.

Facebook and Twitter

Of course, being a blogger and a social media enthusiast, Facebook and Twitter were amongst the very first apps that I downloaded when I received my iPad. Similar in style to the Facebook and Twitter applications for smart phones, they are easy to navigate and make keeping up-to-date quick and easy.

YouTube

I watch videos on YouTube more than I watch TV, so I was looking forward to seeing what the experience is like on a tablet. I have to say I much prefer watching YouTube videos on my iPad as the definition of the display is amazing quality, the size of full-screened videos is perfect for viewing and the pages aren't overloaded with comments and video suggestions as they are when using YouTube on a laptop.

eBay

Okay, here's the dangerous one. I love using my iPad for online shopping as the apps make navigation and purchasing items super straightforward. The eBay app is one of my favourites as the home screen is designed to make it easy to see what items you are watching, what you have purchased and also what you are selling.

iTheory UK

My driving theory practice was another use I had in mind for my iPad before I got it. After trialling a few free driving theory apps that I either didn't find were great in terms of functionality or were swarming with advertisements, I found that this one was the best and is great for learning and revising questions by category and being able to take mock tests.

Dumb Ways to Die

I just had to throw a silly app in here somewhere. This game of reflex and speed is probably the most pointless game you will ever play, but let me tell you, it has kept me occupied for hours!

What are your favourite iPad apps?

Frances x

This post is in collaboration with Argos

Outfit: Scallops and Lace.

Dress: C/O Sugarhill Boutique* | Socks: Primark | Shoes: C/O Tribeca Shoes* | Hat: H&M | Bunny Ring: Dorothy Perkins | Bow Midi-Ring: Forever 21| Watch: Tommy Hilfiger C/O Shadestation*

After a miserable, rainy weekend, I was more than happy to see the sun making an appearance today, however, that is a very deceiving ball of fire in the sky as I was still absolutely freezing taking these pictures- Definitely glad I left my frilly ankle socks at home in favour of my over-the-knees!

If you are in to peter pan collars, cutesy prints and vintage-inspired pieces then you better head on over to Sugarhill Boutique. The combination of lace, scallop detailing and the peter pan collar on this number leaves me with little else to desire in a single dress, and their new Spring collection full of bicycle, camera and duck prints is leaving me wanting more! Not to mention this bright coral dress which is getting me far too excited about Summer!

Have you checked out Sugarhill Boutique's retro prints?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.

Review: Oqibo Green Tea and Passionfruit Candle

Oqibo Green Tea and Passionfruit Candle: £22.00*

Being such an advocate of the blogger cliche of candle brands, Yankee, I had never given much thought in to trying other brands. So when Liverpool-based company, Oqibo contacted me regarding a review of their professional skincare, I opted to try one of their fragranced candles instead.

"Oqibo does do things very differently. Happy, Remarkable, You is a powerful philosophy and it’s this idea that being yourself, celebrating the you you happen to be that is a much needed and powerful antidote to the shame weighing heavily on all our faces."

I had never heard of Oqibo before, but as soon as I read their mission statement I had a good feeling that we would get along, and they were already winning me over when my candle arrived, beautifully packaged at my door. As expected of a professional, luxury brand, the frosted glass candle came buried amongst layers of tissue paper inside a sturdy box to ensure that it didn't break during transit, with an envelope containing a few samples of their skincare products thrown in. Oh, you.

My candle of choice was the Green Tea & Passionfruit fragrance. Although I can't quite detect the green tea, the passion fruit aroma was definitely evident as soon as I opened the box, and the top notes of zesty fruits and springtime flowers leave my room with a refreshing scent which would be perfect for Spring and Summer mornings. Oqibo claims that their candles have a burn time of 40+ hours, and although I can't vouch for this as I have only burnt mine for a few hours so far, I can tell that it is going to last a while.

Oqibo candles are quite pricey at £22, and although they are not something that I would purchase on a regular basis, I think they're worth it if you are looking to treat yourself or buy one as a gift as they are beautifully presented and the fragrance pay-off is one to rival Yankee. Oqibo also specialises in luxury skincare including a cleanser, an exfoliator and moisturisers, so if you would like to see what they have to offer, you can check out their website here.


Have you heard of Oqibo before? What is your favourite candle brand/fragrance?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. My opinions are still 100% honest and my own.

Lounge Wear at South Beach.

Molly Soft Multicolour All-in-One Short Suit: £24.00 £17.00*

White Faux Fur Gold Sequin Slipper Boots: £15.00 £10.50*

It's no secret that I love fashion and clothing but I'd be lying if I said that I enjoy dressing up every day. A girl just needs a break from leather jackets, pretty dresses and knee-high boots every now and again, right? This is where my South Beach (no, they don't only do swimwear!) onesie and slipper boots play a significant role in my life. I love the fact that this is a short jumpsuit as it means that I can take my love affair with onesies and lazy days all the way through in to the warmer months, but South Beach also make this stripey number in full-length onesie form for those of you who prefer to keep your legs wrapped up!

South Beach has got you covered on those duvet days with their range of onesies, robes and pyjama sets which you can check out here!

How do you spend your lazy days?

Frances x

*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.